Residential Air Conditioning Installations

Wall mounted split systems

Advantages

Wall mounted split systems are the most popular type of A/C unit. This is due to their low purchase and installation cost and also their ability to be used as a heater in winter. The term “split” refers to the unit effectively being split in half. The indoor unit gets mounted on one side of the wall and the outdoor unit gets mounted outside (within 20 metres of the indoor unit, but the closer it is, the cheaper the install costs). This means the noisy part, the compressor, is outside so the indoor unit is very quiet with only a slight fan noise. The systems available range from small units suitable for a small study right up to large units suitable for large open living areas (up to 100 square metres). We supply, install and service the three top brands, Fujitsu, Daikin and Mitsubishi Electric.

Wall mounted split systems can utilise the solar panels on your roof to offset the cooling costs through summer.

Disadvantages

They are usually only suited to one room or area. If you want your whole home cooled, you will likely need one in the living area and one in each bedroom. It can therefore get expensive when multiple units are required.

Evaporative Coolers

Advantages

Evaporative coolers take outside air, condition it and blow it into your home via ceiling ducts. This can be very pleasant on a mild day, as you can use the cooler on the fan only function to blow fresh air inside.

Unlike ducted systems listed above, evaporative coolers can be less than half the price to install. If you’re the type of person who likes your doors and windows open in Summer, evaporative coolers are worth considering. They are a basic machine, being mainly a water pump and a fan motor and are therefore the cheapest type of cooling to run.

Disadvantages

You must have windows open for these units to operate effectively, some people prefer to have windows closed in Summer.

These units can only reach 10 – 12 degrees difference from outside. If it is a 40 degree day the best you can hope for inside is approx. 28 degrees.

They are usually much louder than a ducted split system due to the amount of air they push inside the home.
If there is smoke outside (think smoke haze January 2020 from the bushfires) it is best not to use your cooler as it will be blown inside. This effectively means you will have no cooling for this period.

Evaporative coolers are less effective on humid days. Evaporative cooler operation adds moisture, or humidity to the air. This can be both an advantage or a disadvantage, depending upon circumstances.